Author Speak

In Fatima Bhutto’s new book, The Runaways, three disparate lives cross paths in the middle of a desert, a place where life and death walk hand-in-hand, and where their closely guarded secrets will force them to make a terrible choice. Here is a playlist piece on the songs that she listened to while writing the book, with…

Ever wondered what it takes to come out with a book: and a good one at that? What the book-writing process is and how the author plans everything out? Abhinav, the author of The Sage’s Secret tells us – in this special piece – all about the birth of the Kalki Chronicles. The book is centered around…

Frontiers by Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran, is the story of Shivaji’s quest to establish freedom in the Maratha region. Born to a Jagirdar, Shivaji shunned his noble status to fight for Swaraj against the Mughal forces of Aurangzeb. The battle that ensues between the two enemy forces makes for a riveting read. Here we have Medha…

Anjum Hasan is the author of several books including Lunatic in My Head, The Cosmopolitans, Neti, Neti, Street on the Hill and Difficult Pleasures. Her latest book, A Day in the Life, is a collection of fourteen well-crafted stories that give us a sense of the daily life of a wide cast of characters. Her…

Sanjeev Sanyal, bestselling history author of Land of the Seven Rivers, is currently the principal economic adviser to the Indian government. A Rhodes Scholar and an Eisenhower fellow, he has written extensively on economics, environmental conservation and urban issues. His work takes him to many places and often leads to encounters with various colourful characters throughout…

Preti Taneja was born and grew up in the UK. She teaches writing in prisons and universities, and has worked with youth charities and in conflict and post conflict zones on minority and cultural rights. She is the co-founder of ERA Films, and of Visual Verse, the anthology of art and words. We That Are…

There is a close symbiotic relationship between Hinduism and Nature. The basis of Hindu culture is dharma or righteousness, incorporating duty, cosmic law and justice. Every person must act for the general welfare of the earth, humanity, all creation and all aspects of life. Dharma is meant for the well-being of all living creatures. The verses…

Before one plots a novel, a story or in a macabre sense even a heist or a murder, one must think of the idea leading to the plot. The plot in a sense is the body but the idea is the life breath, the very soul of the thriller. In a psychological thriller, the psychology…

By Bibek Debroy: There are many versions of the Ramayana and not all are in Sanskrit. However, the Valmiki Ramayana, composed by the sage Valmiki in Sanskrit, is clearly the oldest. It is the oldest surviving version. Perhaps the story was already known and Valmiki simply retold it in the form of a beautiful composition. Therefore,…